He was a
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Carlow in the
Parliament of Ireland from 1790 to 1796. He was an MP for
Honiton in the
Parliament of the United Kingdom from 13 March 1805 to 1812 and for
Castle Rising from 1812 to February 1817. From 1812 until his death he was a
Groom of the Bedchamber in the service of the Prince Regent, later King
George IV, and then to King
William IV. Despite this office, he is said to have been living "hand to mouth" in his last years. He spent much of his time lobbying to be appointed to any lucrative office which happened to be vacant, but Government after Government gave him a cold reception. The general view, even in an age when patronage was taken for granted, was that his character and habits disqualified him from any public office, especially one concerning the public revenues. He was described as a "pretty, little, thin, delicate man." ==Marriage and scandal==